EVALUATION OF THE AASHO PROFILOMETER FOR MEASURING AIRFIELD PAVEMENT PROFILES

The purpose of this study was to determine the capability of the AASHO American Association of State Highway Officials profilometer to measure airfield pavement profiles. To accomplish this, a number of test tracks were established on pavements at Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Illinois, and profiles obtained with the AASHO instrument were compared with those obtained using standard precise level procedures. The instrument contains an inertial system for continuous horizontal reference and two reference slope or feeler wheels, mounted in tandem between each of two pairs of motorcycle wheels, which measure abrupt changes in profile. The inertial horizontal reference system adopted for the AASHO profilometer is based upon the principle of a floating, spinning disk. The disk is mounted on a center pivot through which air is permitted to escape at high velocity which in turn acts as a lubricant between disk and pivot.